Dinnerware making apparatus



Sept. 8, 1959 G. s. KNAPP 2,903,121

DI NNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 4Z7: S K/MPP 4 Ame/m7:

Sept. 8, 1959 I G. s. KNAPP, 2,903,121

DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 li i IN V EN TOR. -94E S A mw p awmv% United States Patent p v 2,903,121 DINNERWARE MAKING APPARATUS George S. Knapp, Newell, W. Va., assignor to The Homer Laughlin China Company, Newell, W. Va., a

corporation of Delaware Original application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,520. Divided and this application March '6, 1957, Serial No. 644,307

6 Claims. (Cl. 198-20) Fig; 1 is'a side view of the machine, partially broken away in section; I V

=Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line II--II ofFig. 1 and i y Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line I II -III moved.

According to this invention, an endless overhead chain conveyor for molds travels through a clay charging machine and then a jigger machine and a drying chamber.

ofj-Figl 1, but showing a mold about to have its cup re- The conveyor then travels past a mold stripper, where were is removed from the molds. From there the-conveyor loops around and finally returns to the mold charger. The overhead conveyor consists of three main parts, an endless track, trolleys running on the track, andan'endlessi chain connected to the trolleys for moving the conveyor chain in any suitable manner. It is constructed and operates in the same general manner as the conveyor drive shown in Fig. 8 of Patent 2,555,227, and I since it forms no particular part of this invention it will not be described here.

The conveyor, carrying empty molds, travels past a mold charger where cylindrical slugs of clay are deposited in the molds and then the charged molds are conveyed to an automatic jigger. From the jigger machine, the molds with the newly jiggered cups therein are conveyed through the drier to dry the cups in the usual manner; The conveyor then carries the cups past the stripper, where they are removed from the molds and deposited on an endless conveyor belt 110 that conveys them to a suitable location for further operations, such as handle attaching. The stripper includes certain elements that travel in an endless path alongside the coni veyor and lift the cups out of the molds and then, on the opposite side of the machine, deposit the cups on conveyor 110.

The frame 111 of the stripper is suspended from a pair of overhead beams 112 and has pairs of vertically spaced horizontal sprockets 113 and 114 at its front and rear ends. These sprockets are connected by upper and lower endless chains 116 which are connected at intervals by vertical shafts 117. The front pair of sprockets 113 is driven through a vertical shaft 118 from an upper sprocket 119, which in turn is driven by any suitable 'drivingmeans that will cause the chains 116 to travel at a the same speed as the mold conveyor beside them. Rigidly mounted on the upper part of each shaft 117 is a long arm 123 that curves outward and downward to I a forked end for engaging the lower part of a conveyor arm 5 to thereby hold the adjoining mold steady as it moves alongside the stripper. The roller 48 on the mold ring 6 is straddled by a vertical fork 126 depending from a valve 127 secured to a sleeve 128 splined on one'of the shafts 117. Extending outward from each valve is an arm 129, in the outer end of which the hollow stem them. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an I-beam 1 makes agood track'and, due to the construction of this conveyorythe track can be curved both horizontally and vertically .to suit local conditions and it also can be of any 133 that leads to the adjoining valve.

alsoaconnected by a hose 134 with a rotary distributor length desired. It is supported from above in any suit- 1 able 'manner. Each trolley has a pair of wheels2 supported by the lower flanges .of the track. The wheels are rotatably mounted in the upperends of forked. members 3,which hang down below the center of. the track. Al-

ternate links of the conveyor chain 4 areprovided with vertical longitudinal slots, through some of which the trolley forks extend. The side faces of the forks are slotted to receive the links to support the'chain. When the chain travels forward, it pulls all of the trolleys along the track with it. Rigidly connected to the lower end of each trolley is the upper end of an arm 5, which exof a horizontal diaphragm 131 is slidably mounted. The diaphragm is pressed downward by a coil spring 132. 1

There is a hole through the center of the diaphragm that is connected through its stem with a flexible tube 135-that is connected with a, vacuum pump (not shown).

The distributor connects the pumpwith the hoses 134- only on the side of the stripper where the cups are picked they' move down and up at certain points. This movement is controlled by rollers 136 projecting from sleeves;

128 and riding on a cam track 137. At the opposite sides of the stripper, the tracks are inclined down to tends laterally and then downward. Directly below each trolley: is a horizontal ring 6 provided with a radial projection 7 supported by the lower end of the adjoining arm. The rings support molds 8, in or on which dinnerwareisformed from ceramic material. For the purpose ofillustration, cup molds are shown. A

The. conveyor drive (not ShO Dl-is supported beside horizontal lower levels.

Ce Patented Sept. 8, 1959 The valve is a As the diaphragms are carried around the stripper,@

This causes the diaphragms; to move down into the molds on the chain conveyor, and the timing is such that each diaphragm will be pressed down against the bottom of a cup 138 in one of the molds. As this occurs, the air pressure in the cup is reduced because the diaphragm' is in communication 1 with the vacuum pump. The diaphragm and cup then are raised by the inclined cam track and carried around to the opposite side of the stripper, where they again move down toward an endless conveyor belt -extendl ing along the side of the stripper. When the cup is a short distance above the belt, the valveis tripped by passing over a fixed roller 139 to admit atmospheric pressure to the diaphragm so that the cup will be released from it and drop onto the belt. In this way, each mold is relieved of its cup, which then is deposited on the conveyor belt 110 for transportation to another location.

From the stripper, the conveyor returns empty molds to the mold charger to repeat the cup forming cycle that has just been described.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and describedwhat I- now consider to represent itsbest embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwisethan as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A dinnerware mold stripping machine for removing driedware from molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a moving conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality ofvertical shafts supported at top and bottom by said chains at regularly spaced intervals; a slide mounted. on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, a suction member carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a track between the chains positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction member to engage ware on one of said molds and then upward and later downward toward said conveyor and upward again, means for producing suction at said suction members so that they will grip and lift ware from the molds, and means for releasing the suction when the suction members are over said conveyor to deposit ware on it.

2.. A dinnerware mold stripping machine for removing dried ware from molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a moving conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality of vertical shafts supported at top and bottom by said chains at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, a suction membercarried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a valve supported by each slide, means for operatively connecting each valve with the adjoining suction member and a source of suction, a track between the chains positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction member to engage ware on one of said molds and then upward and later downward toward said conveyor and upward again, said valves connecting said source with the suction members over the molds to lift ware from the molds, and means engaged by the valves while they are passing said conveyor to admit air to said suction members, whereby to release ware from the suction members onto the conveyor.

3. A dinnerware mold stripping machine for removing dried ware from molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a moving conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality of vertical shafts supported at top and bottom by said chains at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, a valve and arm projecting laterally outward from each slide, a vertical hollow stem slidably mounted the outer end of the arm, a suction cup on the lower end of the stem and having an opening communicating with said lower end, conduits for operatively connecting the valve with the stem and a source of suction, a track between the chains positioned to be. encircled by said.

slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction member to engage ware on one of said molds and then upward and later downward toward said conveyor and upward again, the valves connecting said source with the suction cups over the molds, and means engaged by the valves as they pass said conveyor to open them to atmosphere, whereby to release ware from the suction cups onto the conveyor.

4. A dinnerware mold stripping machine for removing dried ware from molds traveling past it continuously, comprising a moving conveyor, a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths beside said conveyor, a plurality of vertical shafts supported at top and bottom by saidchains. at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, a suction member carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a valve supported by each slide, a tube connecting each valve with the adjoining suction member, a rotary distributor connected with a source of suction, conduits connecting the distributor to the valves, a track between the chains positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction member to engage ware on one of said molds and then. upward and later downward toward said conveyor and upward.

again, said distributor being formed to connect said source of suction with only the conduits leading to; thevalves adjacent the molds, said last-mentioned valves connecting the conduits with the suction members over the molds, and means engaged by the valves as they pass. said conveyor to admit air to the suction members, where spaced horizontal paths between said molds and. conveyor,vavplurality'of vertical shafts connected at top and bottom to said chains at regularly spaced intervals, a slide mounted on each shaft and movable vertically thereon, a suction member carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a track positioned to be encircled.

by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains,

means on the slides traveling along the track for support-' ing the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction memher to engage ware on one of said molds and then upwardand later: downward toward said conveyor and upward again, means for producing suction at said suction members so that they will grip and lift ware from' the.

molds, means for releasing the suction when the suction members are over said conveyor to deposit ware on it, and. forked members carried by said slides for straddling said ring projections when the slides move downward toward.

the molds, whereby to steady the rings passing by the machine.

6. The combination with a dinnerware mold carrier having mold-supporting rings suspended by arms from an endless carrier, and a conveyor for ware, of a mold strip ping machine for removing dried ware from the molds and depositing it' on the conveyor, said machine comprising a pair of endless chains traveling in vertically spaced horizontal paths between said molds and con-- veyor, a plurality of vertical shafts connected at top and bottom to said chains at regularly spaced intervals, bracing arms secured at one end to the shafts and having.

their opposite end shaped to engage and steady the ringcarrier arms, passing the machine, a slide mounted on.

each shaftbelow the: adjoining bracing. armand movable vertically on the shaft, a suction member carried by each slide laterally outside of said paths, a track positioned to be encircled by said slides as they are carried around it by the chains, means on the slides traveling along the track for supporting the slides, the track being shaped to move each successive slide first downward to cause its suction member to engage ware on one of said molds and then upward and later downward toward said conveyor and upward again, means for producing suction at said suction members so that they will lift ware from the molds, and means for releasing the suction when the suction members are over said conveyor to deposit ware on it.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

